Vintage Footage LSJS "Shir" 1977

In 1977 the Jewish music scene was quite different than today. MBD had already released a few albums, with the album "I'd Rather Pray and Sing" being released the year before, Avraham Fried hadn't yet began his professional adult career. Instead  there was the Ohr Chodosh, Yeshiva Diaspora, the Rabbi's Sons, and some others. Even the boys choirs of today were either just starting out or non existent. While Miami Boys choir was in the process of being established that very year, Tzlil V'zemer was still a few years away from forming, and the Yeshiva Boys choir a few decades.

In the USA there was Eli Teitelbaum's Pirchei Boys Choir, in England, Yigal Calek and the London School of Jewish Song. Yigal Calek a legendary composer and choir director was so popular back then, that in the early 1970's a young MBD once opened for a concert by the the London group.

Established in 1968, the London School of Jewish Song released in 1976 "London Live" an 11 track record of songs recorded live at concerts while touring Europe and the USA.

The footage below features a song off of the "London Live" album, as they performed live on a local Minneapolis television network, prior to their Chanukah concert arranged by Chabad of Minnesota, directed by Rabbi Moshe Feller.

Introducing the choir is a younger Rabbi Manis Friedman, long time Chabad Shliach in the Twin Cities, and director of the Beis Chana school for girls.

Watch below the Pirchei London Choir sing "Shir".
Composed by Yigal Calek
Arranged by Yisroel Lamm
Soloist: Philip Rosenberg.

Part two of this series will Iy'h  be released in the coming days.

A Gruntig Exclusive!